The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-02-28
ABOUT ROADS, BRIDGES AND LAND
INGS.

Something has been said in the news
papers about the dilapidated condition.
of roads, bridges and landings through
out the Kingdom, and it was even as-s
sumed that nothing would be done bys
the Government to provide facilities fors
travel and transporting produce. We;
conclude, however, that all this must5
have been published under a misappre-
hension of the facts. A reference to theI
Appropriation Act shows that the Legis-
lature was not unmindful of the require
ments of the country in this particular,
and as it put a native Hawaiian Minis
try into Office just before the propagation, /
there cannot have been any neglect Of5
these particular objects since What-ss
ever may have been the case unders
former Administrations the money sets
apart for roads, bridges, wharves ands
landingsis certain to be sacred}y applied
by the gentlemen now in office.
We cannot, therefore, understand the;
c. -mplaints from town and country rel
gar ding neglected highways and broken'
ori', ges, more especially as some time
aso he native paper, which voices the
oPh iion of the Ministry, administered a
Sc we're reprimand to the cranks who
complain of roads that were proclaimed
by it to be a model to other countries
And doubtless there was cause for SUCH
an emphatic condemnation of unreason-
ing and unnecessary criticism, the Gov
eminent having certainly applied the
money as the Legislature directed.
Let US see, by way Of guide, what pro
vision was made by the Legislature for
these objects, and then one can form an
idea of what the Government has done
with the money. Under the head,
Bureau of Public improvements" there
is total appropriation of SOIL ,639.
Speaking in round numbers, and adding
items which appear elsewhere, but which
belong to the Public Improvements
Bureau, we have a total of $3.50, 900
specifically set apart for wharves and
landings in the biennial period, and yet
there are those who say that little or no
expenditure has taken place in this direc-
ton since the Propagation. Clearly this
must be a mistake. 1t is five months
since the propagation; the years taxes
have been collected; the loan has been
negotiated ;and therefore, with abundance
of available funds the wharves and land
ings of the Kingdom cannot be in so very
deplorable state as one hears described
But the loudest complaint comes about
roads and bridges, as if there We're al
broken culvert or a guttered highway to!
be found anywhere in the Kingdom. It
would be to fly in the face of the Legis-!
lature if the Government withheld
money from the Bureau of Roads andI
Bridges. The total appropriation underi
this head, including the pay of Road
Supervisors, $4,000, is $75S, 716. Butt
from this we must deduct at least 1904 ::
423, being $4,000 for road damages.
and a number of smaller amounts which,
do not figure in this calculation. This:
leaves about $4,000, upon which theE
Minister of the Interior may figure with
certainty as being entirely necessarv
for road purposes during the current
biennial period. OF course all this
money cannot have been spent, because
there are thirteen months of the biennial
period to come and another years taxes
are to be collected, but doubtless a fair
proportion of the amount has been ex-
pended to comply with the purpose and
intent of the Legislative Assembly
There should be an end, therefore. OF
perpetual grumbling about roads and
bridges, wharves and landings. Every
body is getting tired of it, and a pains
taking and conscientious Minister is be-
ing blamed in the wrong. Let His Ex-;
cellency Mr. AhoIo publish statement
of expenditure on wharves, landings,
roads and bridges since he took office,
/, and thereby silence all detractors.